LIGHTNOVELSTORY chapter 47
47. Philance Yellow’s Mission Log 7
It’s just as the professor said. The water purification system and wastewater tank in the facility were badly damaged, and liquid was leaking out onto the floor without restraint. Around it, makeshift sandbags, probably made by the researchers, were stacked up haphazardly. However , they were not very effective, and the stench of chemicals drifted into the next room.
“First, let’s identify where the liquid is leaking and repair it… no, maybe I should seal it off first. The researchers have already evacuated, so, um, which one should I prioritize in this case?”
Aside from the fact that we are heroes, we have not received any specialized training or knowledge like rescue teams or the police. I received a manual from the professor summarizing the minimum necessary things to do when I became Philance Yellow, but since I’ve only been rescuing people lately, I’ve forgotten how to deal with this efficiently.
“When there are people around, I can just put people first, so I don’t have to think much, but it’s really hard to figure out the priorities in situations like this.”
Feeling my own immaturity, I start working with my half-remembered knowledge. I was often confused at first because it was a type of site I wasn’t used to, but once I got started, it was surprisingly easy.
“Heave-ho!”
The tool the professor made for me, who often gets called out for landslides, is a mysterious liquid that turns sand into clay on the spot. It becomes a moldable mass with just a small amount sprinkled on the sand, making it perfect for missions where I have to repair buildings. However, it takes a lot of sand, and it takes about ten times the grip strength of a gorilla to knead the clay, so it’s still a long way from being a commercial product.
Normally, it’s not easy to get a lot of sand, and it’s not easy to carry around, but for me, the big rocks around here, the walls of the facility, and the ceiling are all sand if I crush them. Kneading clay is no different from making mud balls for me with my hero strength and suit. The professor’s invention is so useful that it could be called Philance Yellow’s second weapon.
“It’s raining, so I can’t use the sand outside… hey!”
**Translation:**
Gorigori gori, I scrape away at the unharmed wall of a room where the chemicals haven’t leaked. Anyway, since this facility is going to be demolished or primarily repaired due to construction, and it was said that it wouldn’t be a problem if I destroyed it a bit as long as I took emergency measures, I decided to peel off the unharmed walls around here without hesitation and mass-produced sand.
I’m not good at delicate work, so in most cases, I end up destroying things that get in my way or burying excess things, but thanks to the clay, I can now take quick action without destroying things recklessly. All I have to do is press the instant clay firmly into the damaged area and hold it down until it hardens. This should prevent any further leakage.
After that, if I build a clay wall along the sandbags made by the research institute, the wastewater won’t leak out any further.
“For the time being, this should be enough. This is really convenient after all.”
Just to be sure, I destroyed the water purification plant’s circuit and forcibly stopped it. After the rain passes and the power outage is restored, someone with more expertise can take care of the detailed repairs. Our job as heroes is to solve problems that ordinary people can’t handle. We’ll leave the details to people with the knowledge and skills.
“Cough, cough… Ugh. Even though it was only for a few dozen minutes, my head is starting to hurt.”
The work itself was easy, but I’m feeling a little unwell just from inhaling the vaporized chemicals that filled the room. Maybe ordinary people shouldn’t inhale too much of this stuff. They also said something about causing public health hazards, so if it wasn’t for me, I might have suffered some aftereffects.
“Illnesses are harder to cure than injuries, but I’ll probably be fine. Speaking of which, I wonder if being sick counts as me getting hurt. I don’t look hurt, but if my stomach hurts, I won’t be able to work, so maybe it does… I’ll have to ask my brother about this later.”
Even as I complain, my body gradually gets used to the smell of the chemicals and the shortness of breath. In the first place, the hero suit’s mask itself apparently has some kind of antibacterial (or something like that) effect, so this level should be fine. Just to be safe, I’ll wipe down the parts of the suit that I touched directly. Even if I’m okay, there’s still a chance that I could spread it to others.
The rough emergency measures are done, so once I seal up the thin parts, my job will be finished. Surprisingly, the travel time was longer than the mission itself. I wonder if I should have them make a giant sponge that’s really good at absorbing things for the next time something like this happens. Would it be hard to carry around?
“Ehehehehe, I feel like I worked really hard today. My body’s been feeling really good lately, and I feel like my drill’s rotation speed has gotten faster. And I’m much stronger than I used to be…”
Looking at the scene that had been cleaned up so nicely, I remembered what I was like before I met my brother and reminisced.
“Brother, will you praise me a lot? I want to see you soon. I’m so excited.”
I’m a hero after all. I’ll keep working harder and harder, and someday I’ll surpass Philance Red and become the strongest hero, and I’ll make my brother really happy. That way, my brother will always be my big brother. Even if he has someone he loves more than me, I think I have the right to be my brother’s little sister…
“Oh, right, I wonder if Nightingale is okay.”
And then I remembered the person who had taken everything I wanted.
I don’t know how she did it, but Nightingale apparently went to neutralize the chemicals that had already flowed into the river and mountains. If I just go back on my own, the doctor will probably scold me, so maybe I should go to the river and see if there’s anything I can do to help.
“…Besides, if I can see her working as Philance Green, I’ll be able to see how much Nightingale loves my brother.”
Surely, she must have a much, much greater power of love than I do.